The family is a treasure that we have to look after and protect. What a better way to look after it than to entrust our parents, our children in our prayers to God so that he sends his Spirit to dwell in the heart of our home? To pray to St Anthony of Padua, whose intimacy with Christ enables him to do miracles, is to enable our family relations to be restored, preserved and strengthened.
"Dear St Anthony, bless and protect my family, keep it united in love, assist it in its necessities and remove from it all evil.
Bless me and my spouse: enable us always to have work and what we need to live honest lives and to bring up the children that the Lord has given us. Bless our children, keep them in good health and full of the desire to do good, help them in their studies, keep them from evil and do not allow them to lose their faith.
Enable us to always be able to understand our children and to guide them by word and example. May they always aspire to the most beautiful ideals and to those they can achieve in their human and Christian vocation. Amen.”
"Oh God, Good and Merciful Father, you who have chosen St Anthony as witness of the Gospel and messenger of peace to your people, listen to the prayer that we are sending you through his intercession. Make each family holy, help it to grow in the faith; keep it in unity, peace, serenity. Bless our sons [and daughters], protect the young people. Help those who suffer from illness, pain and solitude. Uphold us in the tiredness of each day by giving us your love. Amen”
Protector of people in love, St Anthony works for the flourishing of couples in the joy of God.